One of the joys of being back on the sidelines is getting to see several familiar faces. I actually enjoy those road games, as I get the opportunity to catch up with other coaches. My players often accuse me of campaigning. They routinely ask how I know so many people. I used to be important kids, and I also have a rather large following through the Webb Weekly. I absolutely love it.

This past week the St. John Neumann Regional Golden Knights and I were up in Sullivan County. I have so much respect for the Griffin Nation. This small school in North Central PA covers a vast boundary. Glenn Vaughn and I have been mates for a very long time, and he is one of the best in the business. Coach Vaughn faces many obstacles over the course of a season. Their enrollment is tiny and his players sometimes live 60 miles apart. He is a great teacher of the game and he always gets the most out his squads. The Sullivan County Griffins are a tough team to play — especially on the road. All of LaPorte’s finest are in attendance. The smaller gym is packed with a great student section. I still think they turn the heat up on purpose.

The pregame festivities at Sullivan are unlike any other. The entire crowd sings the school’s alma matter immediately after the National Anthem. The place goes bonkers when they announce the starting lineups. It is more like a college atmosphere as they mention where each player is from. At guard a 5’10” Junior from Forksville. At forward a 6’2” Sophomore from Eagles Mere. It’s beautiful.

One of Glenn Vaughn’s assistants is an absolute legend. But you would never know until you actually did some research. I first met Frank Comfort while playing some golf. We teed it up together in a PRO AM. We hit it off immediately as I explained that I also coached some hoops. This was almost ten years ago, and our relationship has since flourished. You did what?

I got to see him last Friday. Frank is very low key and was glad to see that I was back to coaching. We talked a good twenty minutes before the game. I introduced him to some of our players, and he asked about my family. Coach Comfort is a warm and humble elder. He doesn’t enjoy the spotlight. In fact, he might punch me for writing this, but my friend Frank is one of the all-time greats.

Frank Comfort served as the Head Swimming Coach at the University of North Carolina for an unprecedented 30 years. He is one of the most respected and decorated coaches in the NCAA. Comfort has the most dual-meet victories in all of collegiate swimming. He is the top dog on a very impressive list. Frank has an amazing 25 Atlantic Coast Conference championships which is still the most in conference history by a single coach. During his lengthy tenure with the Tar Heels — Frank has mentored several NCAA, AIAW and US Swimming Champions. This guy’s achievements are off the charts.

Frank moved to Sullivan County when he was done. He started working with the basketball team and helps with their strength and conditioning. Comfort remains a huge fan of the UNC Tar Heels, and he still gets to many of their sporting events. I thoroughly enjoy telling my players and sharing his marvelous records. My friend has also rubbed elbows with other ACC legends. What a great dude. He is so modest and humble. He loves giving back to the kids and Sullivan County is extremely fortunate to have him.

“Coach Comfort has been with us for over a decade,” Head Coach Glenn Vaughn explained. “He brings so much knowledge as far as the psychology and winning mindset our athletes need. Frank devotes 11 months a year to helping our athletes with strength training and help those who want to improve. Coach has been so successful but remains so humble and you would never know from interactions with him that he achieved the success that he did when he was coaching at North Carolina. We are grateful to have him as part of our staff.”